THE HOUSE OF RUTH

How would you describe the illustrious career of multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter BOB HOWE in just a few words? Fortunately, his new song ‘The House of Ruth’ provides us with glimpses of three chapters in his life.

It begins with his birth in Rugby, a central English town. The family lived in the shadow of the busy railway terminus (in ‘Old Station Square’) where his father Jon was a fireman on the steam trains.

In verse two, Bob’s mother Barbara, by now a brave single mum, and Bob, barely a teenager, migrate to Sydney, Australia where he discovers the guitar. Before the end of his Teens he is recording with Reg Lindsay, Diana Trask, later Lucky Starr, Johnny Chester, Donna Fisk, Frank Ifield, Wayne Horsburgh and countless other musical pioneers.

Then in the late 80s, Bob travelled to Alabama to join singer/preacher Jerry Arhelger (met during a mid-80s UK tour with Frank Ifield and the band Barbary Coast), to play Gospel concerts in Florida, through Kentucky to Pennsylvania. Later, as a Nashville-based band they were sponsored by a true patron of the country music arts – the star of the song, Miss Ruth (Reece).

CLICK HERE to read more about the adventures of Bob and Jerry in Bob’s Memoirs…

On this recording of ‘The House of Ruth’, Australian singer (Louisiana-raised) Bryen Willems recreates a short phone conversation with Jerry. Recently, Bryen has joined Bob for the third exciting decade of the ‘Canterbury Country’ shows in Sydney which began in 2000, providing a platform for many local country artists.

Bob’s future plans include more recording projects and instrumental compositions (like ‘Whipbird Waltz’) and performances around Australia.

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Dedicated to the memory of Barbara Howe (1932-2015), Jon Howe (1934-2003), Ruth Reece (1938-2020)